APRIL is National Poetry Mont
h.
It occurred to me that I'd never explored the poetry of addiction and recovery--never explored the idea that poetry might offer persons confronting the scourge of addiction a way of bringing their stories into the light of words. From addicts--those still suffering and those on the path of recovery--to family members, to workers of all stripe in the trenches of care: might not poetry offer a vehicle for finding one's voice when called to speak of what, so often, seems beyond the power of the word?
As it happens, the fields of such writings are fertile, indeed.
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Detox Psalm
With the waves’ jade
coaxing, I heaved my every organ
through my mouth, then cut a mouth,
at last, in my abdomen and prayed
for there to be something more divine
than the body, and still something
more divine than that, for a torrent
of white flies to fly out of me,
anything, make me in the image
of the bullet, I begged, release me
from myself and I will end a life.
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recovery
"recovery is when you feel like
you're getting better and worse
at the same time
learning how to be sane
while feeling insane at the same time
recovery is seeing flashbacks so bright
that you don't know
if you're getting a clearer view
of if you're being dazzled by it
you're going to feel how you felt
the day you met them
the day they said they love you
and the day they left
the day you locked yourself
in a closet and cried
the day you stayed up all night
with nothing left to feel
and the night you felt it best
to end end your own life
you're going to relive these moments
but this time only
to let them go.
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SPECIAL EVENTS COMING ON OUR CALENDAR:
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PLEASE SHARE THE NEWS WITH THOSE AFFECTED!
The SECOND FAMILY RECOVERY PROGRAM
will be held
SUNDAY, MAY 5TH, 2019,
at
Center of Grace in Manlius
As before, this
event is geared to family members who have a loved one in active addiction or early recovery. It offers a program to help them gain the tools needed to cope and support their family member.
This event is FREE but TICKETS must be obtained at
Eventbrite
or through our
Facebook
page.
Look for further news on this event in future announcements!
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"PLAY" IT FORWARD
TENNIS TOURNAMENT!
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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!
We are asking for your help. Our second annual “Play” It Forward doubles tennis tournament is coming up the weekend of May 18 & 19, 2019. We need
COURT SPONSORS
to make this a fundraising success. R2RCNY’s next recipient is waiting to leave for treatment in Texas and this is our best fundraising effort to get her there!! Please help us get court sponsors by
ASKING LOCAL BUSINESSES
that you frequent to consider this sponsorship opportunity.
Sponsorship is $250 for full court and $150 for half court. Sponsors receive name/logo display at the event, in the event program and on social media. They may also provide promotional materials to be included in the registration packet each participant receives. We need your help to reach businesses throughout the CNY region.
Questions, please feel free to email us at:
PlayItForward@mail.com
. Thank you so much for your help, Karen Ayoub and Kathleen Dall.
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Men's and Women's
Doubles
TENNIS TOURNAMENT
2019
May 18th & 19th
Drumlins Tennis Club
The second annual "Play" It Forward tennis tournament will be held on May 18 & 19, 2019 at Drumlins Tennis Center in Syracuse, NY. This year we are having men's and women's doubles teams compete over the two days, and all proceeds of the registration fees will be used to benefit Road2RecoveryCNY. We are also recruiting court sponsorships, swag bag sponsors for promotional items, and silent auction donations. Help us get the word out to the community and local businesses!
If you would like any of the flyers, please contact
Kathleen Dall or Karen Ayoub
at
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**************
Persons wishing to register to play in this tournament may find the registration form
***************
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NOTICES and ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- PLEASE NOTE!! URGENT NEED Karen has created a "Birth Announcement" of our 501C3 statue. It is a card with an envelope. We are asking anyone who can to take some of these and send them to their friends (e.g., one's Christmas card list?) We have decided to include in these announcements a special appeal to EVERYONE for donations to send Gabby to treatment. The need is immediate. Please contact Karen Ayoub to get these announcements!!
- THE NEXT VOLUNTEER MEETING will take place at 6:30p.m. on April 10th, 2019, at Fleet Feet. (Volunteers, please see "Volunteer News" for ways in which you can continue to help out. So much to do!)
- The next Board of Directors Meeting: April 23rd, 2019, at 5:00p.m. Location to be announced.
- Great news! Dennis Fernando has completed a trailer for the video he is creating on the work and history of R2RCNY. HERE it is. Please take a look at this marvelous window into this project!
- Road2Recovery.com is undergoing some revision work. Darlene asks that folks click in, take a look, and get back to her with comments.
- NEWS ON OUR RECIPIENTS: Rhiannon has started working part-time at The Arbors (an extended-care facility in Texas. Chelsey has completed treatment, has transitioned into a sober-home, and, is already working! Congratulations to both!
- R2RCNY has been matched with an intern from FMHS. Her name is Camaro Miller. Camaro is researching ways to introduce R2RCNY to the FMHS community and make our name more familiar to those families and staff. This may include interviewing volunteers and community members. If asked, please be willing to share your insights and experience with Camaro.
- Terry and Rob Flower represented R2RCNY at the recent CRARC CNY PROVIDER SHOWCASE. This was an amazing event to which we shall want to return each year.
- The fundraising effort set forth through our Facebook page has been quite successful. Thanks to everyone sharing it with their friends, we have raised $1960 plus two additional fundraisers started by volunteers that raised around $100.
- Time to try on the Meditation Group? (Open to the Public) Introduction to Meditation for Beginners. We meet at the Center for Grace 7-8 pm Monday nights. (8219 Market Pl, Manlius, NY 13104)
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"C-e-l-e-brate, good times: come on!"
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- WE HAVE OUR FORMAL RECOGNITION AS A
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION!!
Guided by the efforts and expertise of Paul Predmore, Road@RecoveryCNY has been granted its 501C3 status by the Internal Revenue Service.
THANK YOU PAUL!!!
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- CONGRATULATIONS MELISSA (AND HER ALL-VOLUNTEER TEAM)!!
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Our gratitudes to Melissa Weigelt for putting together an amazing fundraising event at Aspen Athletic Club!! She dreamed it up, put it together, and, pulled it off!! Congratulations, Melissa!!
Between her workout class registrations, the gift-basket raffles, and the art sale, this event brought in over $3,000!!
Fantastic Work!
And thank you to
all the hard-working volunteers
who helped Melissa bring off this incredibly successful event!! You folks are simply fantastic!!
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Melissa with her daughter, Morgan (two-years sober!) This is how it looks when it is working!
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VOLUNTEER NEWS: (SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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THE NEXT VOLUNTEER MEETING
will take place at 6:30p.m. on April 10th, 2019, at Fleet Feet. Please come if you can!
Our second Volunteer Meeting of the year turned out to be both well-attended and most productive. Colleen had a very full agenda for the evening and we were able to cover just about all of it.
Please click
here
to revisit the extensive report on this meeting Colleen sent out soon afterward. You can also check your email in-box. We all received this volunteer announcement on March 16th, 2019.
Our gratitude to Colleen for the incredible job she is doing as Volunteer Coordinator--not to mention for all the work she is just doing on behalf of R2RCNY.
Just one or two reminders of immediate concerns from our meeting:
- Volunteers are reminded to keep a log of their working hours as well as a running tab of expenses they have incurred in their work for R2RCNY. Now that we're 501C3 our bookkeeping has to reflect these. Colleen has forms to help folks keep track.
- AUCTION OF PROMISES: Is moving right along, we are working to set a date for early Fall. We seem to have a venue and a very clear vision of our end goal. There is a huge need for volunteers for this event, this is a “all hands on deck” situation. This fundraiser has potential to be our best money maker and we will need everyone’s help! We are looking for a few people to Chair the Subcommittees that have been created. Please connect with SUE.
- For those not been able to fill out our Volunteer Registration form, the form can be found HERE. Persons can fill this out online and send it to Colleen's email .
- HELP!! Karen has put together mailers in groups of 5 for volunteers and anyone else interested to send along to 5 friends or family members. The objective is to publicize R2RCNY as well as solicit donations and gain volunteers. Karen handed them out and has more for anyone who is interested. Please contact KAREN AYOUB
- FYI: Colleen and Darlene have our next several meetings already booked. For those who like to do long-range calendar work here are the dates:
- Tuesday, May 14th
- Wednesday June 12th
- Tuesday, July 16th
- Wednesday, August 14th
- And, by the way, we really need more volunteers! Isn't there some one you know--some friend or colleague--whom you could encourage to join our team?
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NOTES FROM THE BOARD:
The Board met on March 25th, 2019. Highlights of this meeting are:
- Paul Predmore presented an account of the follow-through responsibilities on the part of the Board consequent to our receiving 501C3 status. After discussion the Board agreed to carry through as is necessary.
- Darlene apprised the Board of the work/planning of R2RCNY since the last Board meeting. Many items on her report list were discussed.
- The Board resolved to continue its planning for a Gratitude Dinner--now probably in 2020.
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FYI
Everyone, it is impossible to overstate the funding needs we face--both immediate and long-term. We are SORRY to be continuously knocking on peoples' doors and appreciate that it is often the same folks who are being asked. As you read through this newsletter PLEASE give a special thought to how you might be able to step up and help in this effort. We are so grateful to so many for so much and yet the need grows with each moment of our success!
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GoFundMe campaign
Now it's even easier to donate to help save lives. Just click on the Go Fund Me words below. Be sure to share the link with all your friends and contacts! Our goal is to raise $25,000, enough to pay for 90 days of
treatment, 90 days of sober living, and 90 days of sober coaching, plus airfare, prescriptions, etc. for one person. That's six months of care, after which recipients are working and self-supporting. We've raised $400 so far!!
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Donate Your Bottles & Cans
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Don't forget! Drop off your bags of deposit bottles/cans (with Road2RecoveryCNY written on the side) at:
F-M Returnables at 202 West Seneca Street in Manlius.
315-682-4830
or
Central City Bottle Redemption, 224 Chapel Drive, Syracuse (Fairmount), NY 13219
Every dollar helps us send people to lifesaving treatment!
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